Porsche Panamera: First drive review

Nice driving report here of the Porsche Panamera.

With its 400-hp engine, the Panamera S boasts impressive performance claims: 0 to 60 mph is reached in 4.8 seconds, and 0 to 100 takes 11.5. Top speed is 175 mph. Sadly, it doesn’t feel that quick. There is no masking the Panamera’s weight; the Panamera S weighs more than 3900 pounds, and all-wheel drive adds a couple hundred more pounds. The Panamera’s heft means that you have to keep the pedal firmly to the floor and keep the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission busy to put a comfortable distance between you and plebs piloting shockingly quick turbo-diesels on the autobahn.

Unless, of course, you are driving the Turbo. The Turbo tips the scales at 4300-plus pounds, but the acceleration is almost surreal. According to Porsche, 0 to 60 mph takes 4.0 seconds, the sprint to 100 mph takes just 9.0 seconds, and top speed is a lofty 188 mph. Running full tilt in this car is an exquisite experience that would seem to justify every penny of the Turbo’s $132,600 asking price.